63 replies to this topic

[Blue Heron]

Well, so how did you 2 end up on Fox News debating cell phones in restaurants? Did you just call them up and ask to be on??

[food4thought]

we both published article's for and against cell phones in restaurants....
so I would guess that after a document search both opinions appeared. the rest is history?

[Brad S]

CNN just finished a segment on Crossfire about banning cell phones in public entertaining venues.

Dosen't common sense mean more than actually making a law.

I have never been at a broadway show or concert where peoples cell phones were ringing.

What's next?
You fine me for coughing in a restaurant while your tasting your wine?

[Fat Guy]

I get most of my TV and radio bookings because some assistant producer type finds me through an Internet search or one of the expert databases. Then, when I show up at the station and walk down the halls, I run into a childhood friend or a Fat-Guy.com or eGullet user or a relative -- someone I know who works there but never bothered to get me on air.

[LaNiña]

CNN just finished a segment on Crossfire about banning cell phones in public entertaining venues.

Dosen't common sense mean more than actually making a law.

I have never been at a broadway show or concert where peoples cell phones were ringing.

What's next?
You fine me for coughing in a restaurant while your tasting your wine?

You've never been in a concert or the theatre or a movie when people forgot to turn their cellphones off? Lucky you. I've seen them even answer the phones and talk.

[Varmint]

I've seen them even answer the phones and talk.

And, of course, they talk louder -- just like they do when talking to someone who doesn't speak English very well.

[Brad S]

CNN just finished a segment on Crossfire about banning cell phones in public entertaining venues.

Dosen't common sense mean more than actually making a law.

I have never been at a broadway show or concert where peoples cell phones were ringing.

What's next?
You fine me for coughing in a restaurant while your tasting your wine?

You've never been in a concert or the theatre or a movie when people forgot to turn their cellphones off? Lucky you. I've seen them even answer the phones and talk.

Yeap!!

Never had that problem.

[Fat Guy]

I see it happen once in awhile -- maybe in one out of ten movies I see. It's certainly annoying. But passing a law? That's completely insane. Why don't they go ahead and pass laws against talking in movies (a problem I experience far more often), crunching popcorn too loud, smelling bad, bringing noisy children, etc. Let's just get the folks from Singapore over here to run our city. They'll fix it right up.

I wish I lived in this idiot Phil Reed's district so I could vote against him. This is the guy who says "You have to legislate so they'll put it on vibrate."

[Stone]

Nice things about appearing on Fox News:

1. They send a car for you.

2. They have candy and cookies in the green room.

3. The hair lady told me I had nice hair.

4. Terry Keenan is extremely attractive in person, and she's a foodie who may as we speak be lurking on eGullet.

Terry Keenan looks like an old girlfriend of mine. Is she single?

[Fat Guy]

Not sure, but it says in her bio that she "graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University," so she's probably too smart for you. Also your family made me promise not to fix you up with any more gentile girls.

[Rachel Perlow]

The show is repeated at 1 a.m. EST

I recorded it last night at 1 AM, but no cell phone debate.

[swissmiss]

Sorry Rachel. That's what was listed on Fox News' website.

[Wilfrid]

I shared the green room with Tony the Tiger by the way. It's a gal in that uniform.

I wondered why I fancied him.

[=Mark]

I see it happen once in awhile -- maybe in one out of ten movies I see. It's certainly annoying. But passing a law? That's completely insane. Why don't they go ahead and pass laws against talking in movies (a problem I experience far more often), crunching popcorn too loud, smelling bad, bringing noisy children, etc.

There seems something specific to cell phones or their users that ticks people off. Prior to cell phones you could do anything while driving; fiddle with the radio or heater/AC, shuffle through tapes, turn around and talk to kids in back seat, read the paper, put on makeup and mess with hair. All of a sudden people were driving and talking on their cell phones and if you believed the hype and the media they were collectively flying off the road and smashing into each other with abandon. It was never suggested that laws be past against eating Big Macs or fiddling with the radio while driving, but for some reason driving and talking on the phone was considered horribly dangerous. Why was there not a similar correlation to CB radio use 25 years ago?

[rozrapp]

markstevens posted on Aug 16 2002, 10:39 AM

It was never suggested that laws be past against eating Big Macs or fiddling with the radio while driving, but for some reason driving and talking on the phone was considered horribly dangerous. Why was there not a similar correlation to CB radio use 25 years ago?

I think it's because CB users were a very tiny portion of the population and you didn't see a whole bunch of them talking to their buddies while they were driving. However, cell phone owners are now a large segment of the population, and you can hardly drive on any road without seeing at least one driver holding the phones to his/her ear while cruising along. (BTW, my brother is a CBer -- and a ham operator -- and, though he still has his CB equipment in his car, he also has a cell phone.)



QUOTE (A caped Chef @ Aug 15 2002, 07:57 PM)

I have never been at a broadway show or concert where peoples cell phones were ringing.

A story appeared in the paper when Death of a Salesman, starring Brian Dennehy, was on B'way a few seasons back. During one performance, a cell phone began ringing in the orchestra section quite near the stage. Dennehy became so enraged that he stopped the performance, came downstage, and spent several minutes castigating the moron who had neglected to turn off the cell.

We have season tickets to the Roundabout and before each performance, the announcer not only asks everyone to turn off their cells, but those who are using enhanced listening devices are reminded to turn off any hearing aids (a high-pitched whistling sound will ensue if this is not done), and those who might feel the need for a candy are asked to please unwrap it now to avoid all that crinkling noise during the performance. That always gets a laugh, though, frankly, I think it's rather sad that we need to tell people how to behave properly in a theater so that they will not distub those around.

[Fat Guy]

It is sad.

[Jinmyo]

Rotating knives embedded in the backs of the seats. The bottom of the seat swings down to drop the remains into the acid vat. No problem. Patent pending.

[Stone]

markstevens posted on Aug 16 2002, 10:39 AM]
A story appeared in the paper when Death of a Salesman, starring Brian Dennehy, was on B'way a few seasons back.  During one performance, a cell phone began ringing in the orchestra section quite near the stage.  Dennehy became so enraged that he stopped the performance, came downstage, and spent several minutes castigating the moron who had neglected to turn off the cell.  

When Kevin Spacey was in The Iceman Cometh, someone's cell phone went off, and he turned to the audience and said, "tell him you're busy."

There seems something specific to cell phones or their users that ticks people off. Prior to cell phones you could do anything while driving; fiddle with the radio or heater/AC, shuffle through tapes, turn around and talk to kids in back seat, read the paper, put on makeup and mess with hair. All of a sudden people were driving and talking on their cell phones and if you believed the hype and the media they were collectively flying off the road and smashing into each other with abandon. It was never suggested that laws be past against eating Big Macs or fiddling with the radio while driving, but for some reason driving and talking on the phone was considered horribly dangerous. Why was there not a similar correlation to CB radio use 25 years ago?

I read some reports that claimed that the reason cell-phone use is more distracting than radio or talking is because it uses a different part of the brain. Something about the part of the brain that creates the same images/awareness of sight.

[southern girl]

Jinmyo....

[Ron Johnson]

It is so awesome when a lawyer's cellphone goes off in court. The judges go berserk. One judge makes the come hither gesture with his index finger and the lawyer has to sulk up to the bench. The judge says "give it to me" and then he chucks it down the hallway leading to his chambers. I heard he's got a basket full of them.
I dont take a cellphone to court.

[Fat Guy]

Ron, do you recall which courts let cell phones past the security checkpoint and which don't? I have a clear recollection of always having mine confiscated in the federal courts.

[tommy]

I think it's rather sad that we need to tell people how to behave properly in a theater so that they will not distub those around.

i'd assume that most people consider it a friendly reminder, and not an edict of how to behave properly.

[tommy]

I read some reports that claimed that the reason cell-phone use is more distracting than radio or talking is because it uses a different part of the brain.  Something about the part of the brain that creates the same images/awareness of sight.

being someone who drives quite a bit, and studies the driving habits of those around him (for safety reasons), i can say that a large percentage of the public doesn't use *any* part of their brain while driving. therefore, cellphone usage is probably a good thing.

[Ron Johnson]

Ron, do you recall which courts let cell phones past the security checkpoint and which don't? I have a clear recollection of always having mine confiscated in the federal courts.

Here, neither the federal nor state court security checkpoints will confiscate a cellphone.
I think the marshalls secretly get a kick out of the whole thing. Maybe thats why they let them through.

[TatarsHat]

I wish I lived in this idiot Phil Reed's district so I could vote against him. This is the guy who says "You have to legislate so they'll put it on vibrate."

Sheesh... Instead of talking we hear moaning instead? That makes sense.

[food4thought]

Sheesh...  Instead of talking we hear moaning instead?  That makes sense. 

you sound like that's a bad thing!!!

[foodie52]

Tony the Tiger is a WOMAN?????

There goes another of my childhood illusions....

[TatarsHat]

Food4Thought...

Au contrar. (sic) ? Although I am not a loud moaner I am not quite sure what would be more acceptable in a restaurant. Maybe phone sex would be the equalizer?

Not sure if FG wants to get into this??

[southern girl]

foodie52....hopefully she didn't go to A & M...that could really blow away those childhood illusions!

[robert brown]

I can tell you first-hand that Terry Keenan makes a terrific roasted leg of lamb. I can try to get her to post her chutney recipe.